Electrical circuit-breaker apparatus for water elevators



June 28, 1966 c. M. VENERE 3,258,555

ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT-BREAKER APPARATUS FOR WATER ELEVATORS Filed Sept. 10. 1962 Has- .2

,9 14 J 7 a F r United States Patent 3,258,555 ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT-BREAKER APPARATUS FOR WATER ELEVATORS Carlos Maria Venere, 1393 Corrientes St., Buenos Aires, Argentina Filed Sept. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 222,336 2 Claims. (Cl. 200-83) The present invention relates to circuit-breaker means for incorporation in the electrical circuit of water elevators which are connected to a water system.

At the present time, in water elevators, no visual or audible annunciators are provided for indicating that the water system does not have the necessary pressure for proper functioning or that a vacuum condition exists. By reason of the lack of such visual or audible annunciators, 1n many cases the'water elevators continue operating with the attendant wear and tear of the elevator components and the consumption of electrical energy.

A salient object of this invention is to solve the foregoing problem and broadly comprehends the provision of means for arresting the electrical circuit to the water elevator and completing a circuit to a visual or audible annunciator whenever the pressure in the water system drops below a predetermined value.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following detailed description and attached drawings, and in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the apparatus embodying the invention with the cover removed, and

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the apparatus with the cover being shown in cross-section.

As illustrated in the drawings, the apparatus includes a casing 1 of suitable shape and size defined by upper and lower halves 1a and 1b, respectively, and a flexible diaphragm 2 is located between the respective halves. A sleeve 6 extends upwardly from the central zone of the upper half 1a and a stem or rod 3 extends coaxially of the sleeve and is connected to the diaphragm 2. A cover 1' is provided for the casing.

A pipe or sleeve 4 communicating with the interior of the lower half 1b extends downwardly from the central zone thereof and is formed with external screw threads 4a by means of which the apparatus can be coupled to a water supply system. A vacuum breaker 5 is also in communication with the interior of the lower half 1b via conduit 5a.

A pair of screws 7 are fixed in the upper half of the casing and function as vertical columns to which a support 8 of dielectric material is suitably attached as illustrated in FIG. 1. A plurality of fixed contacts 9, 10 and 11, 12, together with corresponding connection terminals are secured to the support 8 by screws or the like 13. As clearly disclosed in the drawings, the contact 9, 10 are in the same plane while the contacts 11, 12 are in the same plane which is positioned below and parallel to the plane in which contacts 9, 10 are located.

The contacts 9, 10 are disposed in the electrical circuit which feeds the water elevator whereas the contacts 11, 12 are incorporated in the electrical circuit for the visual or audible annunciator (not shown).

A movable bridge component 14 is conveniently afiixed to the stem or rod 3 and the position of the bridge component with reference to the pairs of contacts 9, 10 and 11, 12 is quite important.

If the pressure in the water system is proper, the diaphragm 2 will be urged in an upward direction so that the bridge component 14 engages contacts 9, 10 thereby closing the circuit to the water elevator for enabling the water elevator to function properly. At the same time, the

circuit for the visual or audible annunciator is open since the bridge component 14 is not in engagement with the contacts 11, 12.

In the event the pressure in the water supply system drops or decreases, the diaphragm moves downward thus displacing the stem 3 and the bridge component 14 in the same direction thereby disengaging the bridge component from contacts 9, 10 whereby the circuit to the water elevator is opened. Upon continued downward movement of the bridge component, such component engages contacts 11, 12 thereby completing a circuit to the visual or audible annunciator so that the user may be apprized of the abnormal condition existing in'the water system and allow proper measures to be exercised.

The vacuum breaker 5 allows the regulation of the entry of water in the pumps and if this component was absent, and there was little water in the pipes, the pumps would draw in more water than is needed and adjoining houses would be left without water.

The invention is not to be confined to any strict conformity to the showings in the drawings but changes or modifications may be made therein so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a water supply system having water elevator means and an electrical circuit therefor, of means for interrupting the circuit to the water elevator means when abnormal pressure conditions exist in the water supply system, said interrupting means including a casing having upper and lower halves, a flexible diaphragm within the casing between said halves, means connected with the lower half for providing communication between the lower half and the water supply system, a stem extending into said upper half and operably connected to said diaphragm, a support of dielectric material, means mounting said support on said upper half, a bridge component carried by said stem, a first pair of contacts on said support located above said bridge component and adapted for connection to the electrical circuit for said water elevator means, a second pair of contacts on said support located below said bridge component and adapted for connection to an electrical warning circuit whereby upon normal pressure conditions existing in the water supply system, the diaphragm is urged upwardly so that the bridge component carried by the stem engages said first pair of contacts thereby closing the electrical circuit to the water elevator means and opening the warning circuit while upon abnormal pressure conditions existing in the water supply system, the diaphragm is moved downwardly thereby disengaging said bridge component from said first pair of contacts for opening the circuit to the water elevator means and engaging said bridge component with said second pair of contacts for closing the warning circuit and a vacuum breaker in communication with the interior of the lower half of the casing.

2. The combination with a water supply system having water elevator means and an electrical circuit therefor, of means for interrupting the circuit to the water elevator means when abnormal pressure conditions exist in the water supply system, said interrupting means including a casing having upper and lower halves, a flexible diaphragm within the casing between said halves, conduit means for said lower half for providing communication between said lower half and the water supply system, a stem extending into said upper half operably connected to said flexible diaphragm and having a free end located above said upper half, a support of dielectric material, columns attached to the upper half and to the support for mounting the support on and above said upper half, a bridge component carried by the free end of said stem, a first pair of horizontally extending contacts on said support above said bridge component and adapted for connection to the electrical circuit for said water elevator means, a

second pair of contacts on said support below said bridge component arranged in parallelism to said first pair and adapted forconnection to an electrical-warning circuit whereby upon normal pressure conditions existing in the water supply system, the diaphragm is moved upwardly so that the bridge component engages said first pair of contacts thereby closing the electrical circuit to the water elevator means and opening the warning circuit while upon abnormal pressure conditions existing in the water supply system, the diaphragm is moved downwardly thereby disengaging said bridge component from said first pair means and engaging said second pair of contacts for closing the warning circuit and a vacuum breaker in communication with the interior of said lower half of the casing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 23,340 2/1951 Lincoln 200--8l 2,423,387 7/1947 Johnson 200-16 X 2,897,310 7/1959 Swanson 2()0-83 FOREIGN PATENTS 765,403 1/1957 Great Britain.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

S. B. SMITH, JR., H. M. FLECK, JR.,

Assistant Examiners. 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM HAVING WATER ELEVATOR MEANS AND AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT THEREFOR, OF MEANS FOR INTERRUPTING THE CIRCUIT TO THE WATER ELEVATOR MEANS WHEN ABNORMAL PRESSURE CONDITIONS EXIST IN THE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM, SAID INTERRUPTING MEANS INCLUDING A CASING HAVING UPPER AND LOWER HALVES, A FLEXIBLE DIAPHRAGM WITHIN THE CASING BETWEEN SAID HALVES, MEANS CONNECTED WITH THE LOWER HALF FOR PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE LOWER HALF AND THE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM, A STEM EXTENDING INTO SAID UPPER HALF AND OPERABLY CONNECTED TO SAID DIAPHRAGM, A SUPPORT OF DIELECTRIC MATERIAL, MEANS MOUNTING SAID SUPPORT ON SAID UPPER HALF, A BRIDGE COMPONENT CARRIED BY SAID STEM, A FIRST PAIR OF CONTACTS ON SAID SUPPORT LOCATED ABOVE SAID BRIDGE COMPONENT AND ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT FOR SAID WATER ELEVATOR MEANS, A SECOND PAIR OF CONTACTS ON SAID SUPPORT LOCATED BELOW SAID BRIDGE COMPONENT AND ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO AN ELECTRICAL WARNING CIRCUIT WHEREBY UPON NORMAL PRESSURE CONDITIONS EXISTING IN THE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM, THE DIAPHRAGM IS URGED UPWARDLY SO THAT THE BRIDGE COMPONENT CARRIED BY THE STEM ENGAGES SAID FIRST PAIR OF CONTACTS THEREBY CLOSING THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT TO THE WATER ELEVATOR MEANS AND OPENING THE WARNING CIRCUIT WHILE UPON ABNORMAL PRESSURE CONDITIONS EXISTING IN THE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM, THE DIAPHRAGM IS MOVED DOWNWARDLY THEREBY DISENGAGNG SAID BRIDGE COMPONENT FROM SAID FIRST PAIR OF CONTACTS FOR OPENIGN THE CIRCUIT TO THE WATER ELEVATOR MEANS AND ENGAGING SAID BRIDGE COMPONENT WITH SAID SECOND PAIR OF CONTACTS FOR CLOSING THE WARNING CIRCUIT AND A VACUUM BREAKER IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE LOWER HALF OF THE CASING. 